Students to talk to space station astronauts

From the New Jersey Herald: Students to talk to space station astronauts
NEWTON -- Eighth-grade students from the Andover, Green and Newton school districts are set to talk to space travelers, and mark a New Jersey first, with a radio downlink with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

"This is the first school in New Jersey to be chosen," Newton Superintendent G. Kennedy Greene said. "But more importantly, it highlights our STEM program."

STEM is the acronym for Science Technology Engineering and Math, which, he noted, has just added new curricula in science and math areas.

Kevin Stanton, director of educational services, said the district has been told it has a scheduled spot on Feb. 22 for the conversation, part of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration program of teaching from space. The downlink will be the first time a New Jersey school group will have spoken directly to the Space Station since it was made operational in November 2000.

The current crew, known as Expedition 30, arrived at the station in late November and will be joined before February by additional astronauts. While astronauts have lived in the station for more than a decade, Espedition 30, is the first since the station was deemed to be completed earlier this year, with the addition of the final modules and outside equipment of the football-field-size station.

"We have had working relationships and sponsorships with several corporations and this cooperation with NASA adds to that list," Greene said.

Among recent sponsorships are the U.S. Army's Picatinny Arsenal, Thorlabs and Johnson & Johnson.

Newton is the receiving district for high school students from Andover Regional and Green districts, but the NASA program is geared toward middle school (grades 6-8) students.

The three districts formed a curriculum consortium a few years ago to coordinate what is taught in the three districts so students entering high school are on equal footing.

It was that Tri-District Consortium which submitted the application, Stanton, said.

Teachers from the three districts will meet early next month to create lesson plans using educational materials provided by NASA leading up the Feb. 22 event. The NASA material is geared to exploration of many aspects of space flight.

The February event will bring all the students from the three districts together at Newton High School auditorium for the actual conversation.

How long the downlink will last is among items to be discussed. NASA officials said the schedule could be changed if there are vital mission goals to be accomplished.